The Ballad of Mountain crest

One more unrequited love song

"Dahlia." her blonde ombre bangs covered pale blue eyes as she turned from the window looking towards her elderly math teacher, a soft sigh her answer. the older woman was glaring at her over the brim of her once fashionable blacks cat eyed glasses. Dahlias pointed black nails tapped against the desks faux wood top as she slouched back into the hard blue plastic chair. "Pay attention please, all of this information will be on the test!" The small withered woman's voice rang out as the last of her sentence bounced around the classroom like a birds shrill screech. Snickering began rippling through the small class,dahlia shrugged. The giggling Silenced by the sweeping glare of the teacher the room once again was filling with the various questions and problems as she continued her lesson.
Dahlia stretched her legs out from under her desk,another sigh escaped her, she leaned her head into her hands her eyes wandered towards the window again,he leaned against the wall with her shoulder. She could see the football field from the second story class room. There was a gym class taking place at the moment, several lines of kids doing various Calisthenics. Her gaze subconsciously found one young man in particular as he sat on the field holding the legs of some young guy doing sit ups she could see he was mouthing something, she assumed along the lines of "come on! You can do it" blah. Pure jocks in their natural habitat. She snickered at her own joke crossing her arms she turned from the window catching the last bit of lecture from her withered teacher. Zippers and Velcro sounded almost in unison as the bell rang out sending hordes of teenagers barreling into the hallways of the high school. Dahlia stood pulling her bag over her shoulder,she brushed her ombré bangs from her face turning towards the door she was met by one of her best friends "Dolly! Hey baby, you ready to go meet mags?!" Amarie grabbed dahlia by her arm dragging her from the math classroom both girls laughed as they talked walking down the hallway towards the schools main exit. Through laugher dahlia questioned amarie about her next class, "oh I just have gym next,but I'm not going" she giggled "you?" Dahlia groaned as she stopped by the door she could see her friend Margie's car by the curb " I have literature" the words fell out of her mouth like bricks. Amarie frowned her brow furrowed she crossed her arms "dolly dude what the hell!" She tilted her head, loose strands of green hair fell over around her face as her messy buns bounced loosely "yeah but if I fail this class my moms gonna take my phone" Dahlia shrugged as she adjusted her bag onto her other shoulder "whatever we'll take Sean or something" amarie sighed as she accepted the defeat. Dahlia laughed as she waved dismissively "yeah ok hun" with that amarie left with a giggle.
Dahlia slammed into her desk in the back of the literature room she threw her bag onto the desk pulling out the one text book she had this year. She had lied to amarie. She wasn't in danger of failing this class, in fact it was an honors class, Dahlia loved the arts she loved writing and she loved to read. She checked her phone texting back her friend Margie letting her know she was stuck in class. She hid her phone behind her bag as she continued texting. "Hey.." a hushed whisper pulled her gaze from her phone. She turned coming face to face with one of the schools football players. She sat back pushing her hair from her face. "Uh... what?"  The boy smirked as his light brown hair fell loosely around his face his dark brown eyes almost seemed to sparkle "did you do the homework?" Dahlia shook her head as she looked away from him she felt a small bubbling in her stomach her bangs fell back over her eyes, she surprised herself feeling her cheeks grow hot. She caught a glimpse of him again from the side he wore a dark blue letterman jacket she couldn't make out the number though, she cursed quietly under her breath. She shook her head trying to clear her thoughts and focus on the lecture but it seemed to no avail. She twisted some of her purple hair around her finger, fighting the urge to catch another glance of the mystery boy, her thoughts were fighting one another, why did she blush? She hadn't had a crush since middle school! Also there's no way she would ever be with someone like that! Someone who letters in sports, there would be no way she could stand to be with someone who obsesses over getting a ball from one side of a field to the other. This town was obsessed with football but she refused.Definitely not. She looked towards the teacher catching one more quick glance of the boy, he was leaning against his hand scribbling notes down. His hair framed his perfect face looking from the black board to his notebook. He turned slightly as his hand raised she caught the number on his jacket. "Twenty four" she whispered to herself. Her cheeks grew hott once more as she snapped back to reality she rubbed her face looking back at her phone she had four missed texts from Amarie. She smiled texting her friend back, a new thought occurred. What if she fell madly in love with twenty four, what if they loved each other and made beautiful football babies. She had to stifle a snort with a cough brushing her nails through her hair. She took down the notes on the board still tickled at her outrageous thought. He's a stranger, she didn't even know his name.
The final bell rang and she pushed all of her notes and her book back into her bag swinging it over her shoulder, she made her way to her locker fumbling with the combination for a moment as she held her phone to her ear with her shoulder listening to the voicemail from amarie. The locker clicked open and she shoved her bag into it lingering for a moment she listened to her friends bubbly voice exclaim where they'd would be waiting to pick her up. The message ended and she slid her phone into her pocket slamming her locker closed. she turned around noticing she was one of the few people left in the hallway.
Throwing her hair over her shoulder her thoughts scattered she stood there in the hall a moment adjusting her light purple tank top. Before She texted amarie letting her know she had to go to her mothers dress shop and she would call her when she was done, amarie texted back quickly she smiled and slid her phone back into her pocket making her way down the hall she exited through the back of the school taking her past the football fields towards the woods she would take as a short cut and be at her moms store in less than fifteen minutes. Her school was obsessed with the football team and of course the players, the town itself seemed to be obsessed. Shouting and chanting caught her attention, shielding her eyes from the sun she looked towards the field spotting the football team in half of their uniforms with their shoulder pads and helmets on. She stood by the fence for a moment to  check her phone feeling it vibrate, she read the message quickly before she caught sight of the boy from class he was talking with some of the other players, she pushed her bangs from her eyes and slid her phone back into her pocket. Just looking at him as he walked his confidence seemed to radiate from him, his smile could rival the sunshine, she felt as if she was on fire. Every move he made was like art it seemed chaotic yet precise. Her phone vibrated in her pocket, she ignored it. leaning gently against the chain link fence that surrounded the field. She watched the players run from one white line to another, they yelled and grunted. She spotted the coach, someone she knew well. Amaries father barked orders and directions,the players corresponded without question. Some of the players began to run around the field.
The fence shook causing her to gasp as she looked up. Face to face with number twenty four her eyes widened. "Hey there" his fingers gripped through the links of the fence,he smiled wide towards her. "You can come sit in the stands if you want" she felt her cheeks growing hot as his velvet voice swept over her "you know,instead of creepin" he winked. "What? No, I'm uh..." she backed away from the fence motioning towards the path leading toward the woods. "Dahlia!" Her head snapped towards the coach calling and waving towards her. She gave an embarrassed wave to her friends father turning quickly from the field making her way down the path, almost out of ear shot of the field "see ya later dahlia" chills ran rampant over her body clashing with the burning she felt in her cheeks as she made it into the woods she leaned against the trunk of a large tree trying to catch her breath. It felt as if she had been running laps her heart was pounding. She laughed feeling overwhelmed pushing her ombré hair from her gaze scratching her head as she calmed down. Pulling her phone from her pocket she texted back quickly. Stepping back onto the path she made her way towards her mothers shop, her feelings running wild her thoughts chaotic she slowly began to regain composure as she walked the dirt path.
Mountain crest was a small mining town in the middle of nowhere,mountains bordered the back of the town where the workers extracted various minerals and materials. There was large wooded areas throughout the town and one of these areas lead to a large forest,witch would take a hiker up the back of the mountain avoiding the workers and construction zones. The residents of mountain crest were in their own right obsessed with the high school football team. They were on their fourth year winning streak due to the star line men and the incredible coaching of Andrew Johnson. The town was proud and if asked they would not hesitate to tell you how strong their team is. The town was fairly small and crime was pretty nonexistent, due in part to the sheriff Sarah Grosh. One of the first female sheriffs the town had ever had, she had set a standard and the town was living up to it. There were no large retail businesses in mountain crest,the community served the community and that's how they liked it. Small town was somewhat an understatement.
   Dahlia emerged from the woods to the back of her mothers shop. There was a small wooden fence across the back that was easily jumped. Making her way to the back door she knocked hard moments later she felt her phone begin to vibrate pulling it out she answered to her mothers voice "dolly you gotta come around to the front, I have customers" she hung up making her way around to the front of the small store. The bells above the door dinged as she entered. "Hey baby, the girls are in the back!" Her mom exclaimed waving past the two women standing at the counter. Dahlia smiled and walked behind the counter towards the back room, her mom grasped her hand squeezing before letting go. "Dahlia this is Mrs.peile and Mrs.tartho" dahlia smiled pulling her hair to the side "pleasure to meet you both" the women smiled repeating pleasantries. Mrs.Peile tapped the counter "I think I've seen you before!" She exclaimed. Dahlia tilted her head "yes! I believe you go to the same school as my boy!" She smiled proudly nodding "oh,well I might?" Dahlia questioned "who's your son?" For a second she seemed offended before a cackle escaped her companion and her they laughed towards each other before her companion replied "oh darling! Her boy is number twenty four! Kit Peile! Why he's taking this school to state!" Dahlias eyes widened as she looked back to Mrs Peile, who caught her wide eyed stare and beamed proudly. Dahlias mother clasped her hands gasping "oh my! I've seen him play before! He is fantastic" the three women began talking,seizing the opportunity dahlia slipped away towards the back room her heart pounding in her ears.
  "Hey pumpkin,what took you so long?" Amarie was sitting on the light green sofa in her mothers employee lounge room "oh nothing I was just ..." she trailed off as  Margie walked in holding two coffees she handed one to dahlia. "Where's mine?" Amarie whined "darling you don't need one" Margie rolled her eyes sitting on the arm of the sofa. Dahlia looked down at her cup as she held it with both hands she sighed sitting at the small table across from the sofa "look! She's blushing!" Amarie gasped dramatically jumping up from the sofa she practically flung herself towards dahlia squealing "what are you thinking about!"'dahlia shrugged holding her hands in front of herself to catch amarie who landed hard in her lap all of her jewelry clanged and rattled against her, dahlia pulled amaries green hair from her mouth faking gagging noises only earning her a fake slap as she jumped from her lap flopping back onto the sofa. Margie laughed before taking another sip of her coffee "ok whatever doll but for real we need to get going I have work in an hour" the other girls both groaned in unison before all three began laughing.
   Margie was blaring some new band dahlia was unfamiliar with, it was mostly screaming and drum solos. Dahlia pursed her lips as they drove she was sitting in the back her legs up on the seat her ombré hair was blown carelessly in the wind. Margie had gotten her convertible as a gift for getting her licensed, it was a used model but it was perfect to her. Dahlia looked to her left as they stopped at the red light ,the cafe Margie worked at was on the corner it looked full she felt bad for Margie having to work and go to school. She was the smartest person dahlia knew though, Margie had always had the best grades since she met her in elementary school. She was so kind and funny it was strange that she wouldn't keep a boyfriend, but Margie was more of a social  dater. She was beautiful and full bodied, only eighteen she had the body of a grown woman she had been that way sine seventh grade. That had earned her attention from an early age. Margie was smart though. She knew what she wanted and when she wanted it she knew who she wanted and how to get them. Dahlia looked over to Margie in the front seat watching her drive. Her bright pink faux hawk was unmoving in the breeze. Dahlia smiled looking up to the clear sky she spotted one lonesome cloud. "Hey doll?" Margie glanced over the seat for a moment as dahlia sat up "yeah?" Margie pulled into a parking spot around the back of  coffee shop "y'all want to come in for a bit?" They all exited, dahlia leaned against the car as Margie pulled on her uniform "I do! Sean's coming over soon!" Amarie squeeled looking dreamily towards the caffe. Groaning Margie started to walk toward the backdoor "oh god I have to work with that ass" Amarie huffed arguing with Margie about her boyfriend. Dahlia smirked as she watched them,Amarie turned towards her questioningly. Dahlia shook her head waving. Amarie waved back as the door closed.
  Dahlia made her way down the main street past the cafe. She pulled her phone from her pocket as she flopped down onto a public bench in the town square. She replied to missed text from Amarie and her mother before sliding her phone into her top she stretched leaning back onto the bench looking towards the sky she crossed her ankles and her arms ,closing her eyes she could hear the birds and the few cars driving  through town. She bit her lip as the face of number twenty four,kit filled her thoughts. The warmth of the day began slipping,she felt the cool breeze of night start to pick up.